Inside Politics: Brexit reality beginning to hit, Boris Johnson warned

Michel Barnier says the consequences of Britain’s exit are ‘starting to sink in’, writes Adam Forrest

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Are we sleepwalking into the scary future of sci-fi nightmares? Scientists have created a new form of “living” robot which develops its very own memories. The xenobots – made out of frog cells – can even assemble themselves (this is not an April fools’ joke). The past and present are pretty nightmarish too. Boris Johnson’s government appears keen on sleepwalking mode, apparently incapable of facing up to the UK’s legacy of structural racism. The PM is facing a huge backlash after the No 10’s report concluded the nation was a “model” of progress when it comes to race. Meanwhile, Johnson has been warned that the period of sleepwalking over Brexit is coming to an end.

Inside the bubble

Policy correspondent Jon Stone on what to look out for today:

It’s recess in Westminster again, but watch out for commentary on minimum wage. It’ll be going up by 2.2 per cent to £8.91. Boris Johnson is expected to describe the policy as a “well-earned pay rise for two million people” – but campaigners will warn of the big gap between the minimum wage and the real living wage, which is £10.85 an hour in London and £9.50 outside the capital.

Daily briefing

SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL: The report commissioned by Boris Johnson which found no institutional racism and declared the UK no longer has a system “rigged” against people from ethnic minorities has been condemned as “divisive” and deeply cynical”. Labour, the unions and senior figures in the justice system, education and health sectors all accused the government of complacency. The GMB union’s Rehana Azam said it was “completely irresponsible and immoral” to ignore lived reality. But equalities minister Kemi Badenoch said she “warmly welcomed” the report and said she was impressed by its analysis. While Labour leader Keir Starmer said he was “disappointed” the report downplayed structural racism, his MP were less circumspect. David Lammy said black Britons were being “gaslighted” by the report. Marsha de Cordova said the government must now explain why a passage “which glorifies the slave trade” was published (she was referring to the bit that said “African people transformed themselves” during the “slave period”).

THE BIG SQUEEZE: More vaccine-related headaches for the EU. Drug giant Pfizer has spoken out against the bloc’s current export controls – saying they have become a serious burden for jab production. Danny Hendrikse, VP for Pfizer’s global supply, said the tighter restrictions introduced in February had put pressure on the operation of its plant in Belgium (which supplies the UK and 70 other countries). “It has caused a significant administrative burden and some uncertainty,” he said. Meanwhile, the EU’s former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has said the reality of Britain’s exit was only now beginning to be felt. “For many people the real consequences are only now starting to sink in … Recreating trade barriers that had not existed for 47 years.” It comes as the government was slapped with a class action lawsuit from the DUP and its allies. It claims protocol arrangements infringe the rights of Northern Ireland citizens. Intriguingly, it names the Cabinet Office and Boris Johnson’s attorney general as defendants.

BASIC INSTINCTS: Keir Starmer has spoken out against the use of vaccine passports, saying the use of certification to access pubs could be against the “British instinct”. The Labour leader told The Telegraph: “My instinct is that… [if] we get the virus properly under control … that the British instinct in those circumstances will be against vaccine passports. I think that this idea that we sort of outsource this to individual landlords is just wrong in principle.” Starmer wouldn’t say whether Labour would vote against vaccine passports. But considering the significant level of Tory opposition, his negativity towards the idea poses a real headache for No 10. Meanwhile, a top member of Starmer’s team said Tony Blair’s approach to globalisation was wrong. Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said places like her Wigan constituency had been “stripped of their vitality” and promised a new approach that would include “a rejection of the uncritical embrace of economic globalisation”.

LOCK-BLOCKING BEAT: Rishi Sunak has admitted he was against having a lockdown to protect against the second Covid wave in September – claiming there “wasn’t a clear-cut case” for one. Speaking to ITV’s Robert Peston, the chancellor said his beat, as champion for the economy, influenced his thinking. “You’d expect me, in my job, to talk about the impact on people’s jobs and livelihoods.” Labour won’t let him forget his opposition to earlier action. The chancellor also insisted progress had been made in tackling racism. “I think about the things that happened to me when I was a kid, I can’t imagine those things happening to me now,” he said. Meanwhile, some big names in retail are pushing Sunak to come up with a plan for independent shops when they re-open on 12 April. The group – including Mary Portas and fashion designer Henry Holland – want the chancellor to offer a “Shop Out to Help Out” scheme. It would cover 50 per cent of a shopper’s costs up to £10, from Monday to Wednesdays.

FRENEMIES REUNITED? Nicola Sturgeon has claimed she doesn’t actually need to get a SNP majority for a mandate on a second independence referendum –other pro-indy parties could help. “If there’s a majority in the Scottish parliament who want a referendum … then yes, there is a mandate,” she told ITV. Pressed on whether she could rule it out working with Alex Salmond’s Alba Party to deliver indyref2, she said: “It’s not for me to say what MSPs elected from other parties vote for in a Scottish parliament.” At the weekend she had suggested Salmond would have to apologise to women “he behaved inappropriately towards” for them to ever work together again. Could Sturgeon be worried about the polls? Meanwhile, the former SNP MP Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh – who lost her seat in 2017 – has signed up for Salmond’s outfit. It comes as the Institute for Government warned that Scotland would have to wait up to 10 years to join the EU, if it decides to opt for independence. The think tank said the SNP should be more “open” about the costs of separation.

HELP IS ON THE WAY: A new helpline has been set up to tackle sexual harassment in schools. The NSPCC-run service, which launches this morning, will offer advice on how to report incidents to the police.England’s education watchdog Ofsted has launched a review on the problem, after more than 11,000 accounts of assault and harassment were posted on a campaign website. “I am determined to make sure the right resources and processes are in place,” said education secretary Gavin Williamson. Is it enough? Tory MP Maria Miller, former chair of the women and equalities committee, said there was still “far more to do” on the issue. Meanwhile, the charities watchdog has launched an inquiry into a wildlife foundation with very close ties to No 10. The Charity Commission will investigate the governance of the Aspinall Foundation – whose comms director is the PM’s fiancee Carrie Symonds – following “concerns about the management of conflicts of interest”. One to watch.

On the record

“You’d expect me in my job to talk about the impact on people’s jobs and livelihoods and ultimately things that are bad for the economy.”

Rishi Sunak admits he argued against an earlier second lockdown.

From the Twitterati

“Everyone involved in this report, from Munira Mirza (head of policy unit), to Tony Sewell, to Boris Johnson himself, has been critical of concept of institutional racism and argued racism is culture of "victimhood". And guess what it concludes.”

Author Sathnam Sanghera says the fix was in from the start…

“Boris Johnson, who called black Africans “picanninies,” Muslim women “letterboxes” and said the problem with Africa is that "we are not in charge anymore,” releases report saying institutional racism doesn’t exist in the UK.”

..and Adam Bienkov says it’s no surprise.

Essential reading

Amanda Parker, The Independent:A big opportunity to make progress against racism has been missed

Sunder Katwala, the Independent:Is Britain racist? The binary question obstructs real progress

Martin Kettle, The Guardian:Starmer still has a chance to make a good first impression. He mustn’t waste it

Joe Pinsker, The Atlantic:The Trump presidency is over. So are a lot of relationships across America

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